7. Van Gogh Sunflowers Destroyed In World War II Bombing raid – 1945
In his twilight years, van Gogh produced seven versions of cut sunflowers in a vase. One of them was purchased in 1920 by Koyata Yamamoto, a wealthy businessman in Ashiya, for today’s equivalent of 200 million yen ($1,886,800). Yamamoto intended to present the piece, commonly called “Sunflowers of Ashiya,” to a museum that renowned novelist Saneatsu Mushanokoji and other literary figures had hoped to establish. But the plan was thwarted by U.S. air raids over the Hanshin region on Aug. 6, 1945. The van Gogh was among innumerable treasures lost when the area was destroyed in incendiary bombing. It is said that the painting had such a large frame which made it too difficult to remove from the wall during the fire.